DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 19: Von Miller (58) of the Denver Broncos celebrates a sack in the fourth quarter. The Denver Broncos played the San Francisco 49ers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver on October 19, 2014.

Defensive end DeMarcus Ware flattens 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick during the Broncos' 42-17 victory Sunday night in Denver. Ware has seven sacks in his first season with the Broncos and 124 in his career, which began in 2005.

Von Miller, the No. 2 pick in the 2011 NFL draft, has made 43 sacks in his 46-game career with the Broncos.

Dedication collided with improvisation Sunday night, providing a glimpse into how the Broncos’ defense has gone from vulnerable to vicious in two weeks.

On first down from his 36-yard line late in the second quarter, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick fielded a shotgun snap. He had no way of anticipating what would happen next. Denver defensive end DeMarcus Ware had lined up across from all-pro left tackle Joe Staley of the 49ers. For Ware, pass rushing represents a science, technique over fang-bearing teeth.

Ware uses his hands like a fighter. He began this assault with four quick double-arm pumps, creating the impression he was going straight upfield. Instead, he rammed his left shoulder into Staley’s right arm. Staley assumed Ware would transition into a spin move. As Staley wheeled around toward the center, Ware juked with his head, then never spun. Staley blocked air as Ware wrapped up Kaepernick for a 9-yard loss.

You can’t block what you can’t see.

Ware’s fake-out sack was the most visible highlight in a defensive surge by the Broncos that has netted 10 sacks over the past two games. Next up: Thursday night’s division brawl with the visiting San Diego Chargers.

“It was relentless effort and fanatical pursuit to the ball,” Denver outside linebacker Von Miller said Monday of the second of Ware’s three sacks. “I don’t think it was premeditated. I think he was going to come inside, but when you are a freak athlete like that, you can do pretty much anything and make it work.”

Ware, alone, creates disruptions. Combine him with Miller, who leads the NFL with eight sacks this season, and havoc follows. They have combined for 15 sacks, which is more than 14 teams have. During organized team activities in the offseason, Ware predicted they could finish with more than at least one club, privately wanting at least 32 sacks among them.

“That is a big goal for me and Von to say, ‘Why not have two guys that can have as many sacks as one team?’ ” Ware said. “It’s something we want to accomplish. We played well last week, but we have to carry it over to this week and the week after that.”

During the Broncos’ first three games, their defense struggled to get third-down stops. It has since stiffened from the inside out. Linemen Terrance Knighton, Malik Jackson and Derek Wolfe have become roadblocks to opposing running games. The 49ers and New York Jets combined for just 93 yards rushing on 31 carries in the past two games.

Making opponents one-dimensional frees defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio to employ an aggressive, attacking style. The Broncos’ defense ranks sixth in yards per game allowed (316.8) and second in yards per play (4.7).

“We know we can still get better,” safety T.J. Ward said. “But everything is clicking right now.”

The impact of Ware and Miller can’t be overstated. After the season’s first game, Ware knew he could rebound after a mediocre, injury-riddled 2013 season with Dallas.

“I started making plays and doing things I usually do, and I was like, ‘Oh, OK, I’ve still got this,’ ” he said.

Miller realized he was back during the second game when concerns about his right knee brace vanquished. He has delivered sacks in five consecutive games, the league’s longest active streak and one shy of his career high set in 2012.

Rather than double-team Ware and Miller, O-lines are sliding their protection to help out. It represents a risk, leaving a tackle man-to-man. As Staley learned, it’s possible to block and miss.

“I didn’t plan it,” Ware said. “Sometimes you just get a feel … and use your instincts.”

D Miller: Changes his celebration from sack to sack. After his first sack this season, he looked like Elvis strumming a guitar. It actually was the “Forrest Gump” wobble, Miller said, before the movie character ran like the wind blows. “I just try to be creative with it. I try to feed the fans and keep it exciting by changing it up,” Miller said.

Ware: Celebrates with a “Hulk Smash,” flexing and pounding his arms and fists into the turf. Former Cowboys special-teamer Keith Davis urged Ware to adopt it during his rookie season. “Keith pumped up the crowd with it and then took off on the kickoff. I was like, ‘That’s awesome!’ I have been doing it ever since,” Ware said.

Troy is a former Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies beat writer for The Denver Post. He joined the news organization in 2002 as the Rockies' beat writer and became a Broncos beat writer in 2014 before assuming the lead role ahead of the 2015 season. He left The Post in 2015.

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